Two injured in early-morning crash

Two people were taken to the hospital in Victoria after a two-vehicle crash at 12:30 a.m. Thursday that occurred during a police chase.

Sgt. Jason Turner with the Victoria Police Department said the crash occurred at the intersection of Ben Jordan Street and the Houston Highway.

The names of the two people were not immediately available. Turner said one was a 19-year-old woman and the other a 28-year-old man.

Battalion Chief Tracy Fox with the Victoria Fire Department said both were taken to Citizens Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Turner said the pursuit began after an officer saw the male driver slam on his brakes and slide into the intersection of the Houston Highway and John Stockbauer Drive, running a red light.

The driver turned south onto Stockbauer and the officer tried to stop him. But the man continued on, turning onto Lone Tree Road and then north onto Ben Jordan, running traffic lights and stop signs along the way, Turner said.

"He reached the intersection of Ben Jordan and Houston Highway and that's when he sideswiped another vehicle sitting at the traffic light," he said. "His vehicle stopped soon thereafter only due to damage sustained during the collision."

The driver fled on foot, but was captured by officers.

Turner said the charges facing the driver are hit and run, driving while intoxicated, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, failure to identify, driving while license invalid and evading arrest.